Blue Ribbon Group Open Sesame Cookies
Brown Butter is Star of This Winning Cookie
Perfectly baked. Perfect flavor. These Open Sesame Cookies are fresh from the archives. They won at the Chicago area fair, DuPage County Fair, back in 2013. We still talk about these cookies.
Brown Butter in Dough and Frosting
These cookies are perfection. And, they are easy to make. If we can do it, you can too.
You start by browning your butter with toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds. We recommend Land O’Lakes butter. Soon, you’ll be savoring the butter’s nutty, rich aroma.
The reason people flip for brown butter is simple. It is flipping amazing! No other way to describe it.
The dough comes together great once you have that done. Sifting the flour is a key step. You are adding air to the flour. As a result, the dough is easier to mix and you get a delicateness to the cookie, which is delightful.
Frosting: the icing on these Open Sesame Cookies will wow your senses.
The winner, Gayle Willard, had a history of baking for a Chicago test kitchen. She nailed her presentation with this recipe. I remember the judges specifically noting the ideal browning and consistent size of the cookies.
Be careful not to overbake these, which is easy to do, with this cookie’s richness. If you nail the bake time, you will have a kudos-worthy cookie too.
This is the cookie I make for people don’t like chocolate. I know a few of them. Be sure to put these Open Sesame Cookies on your “must make” list. They are outstanding!
-Cyndi
p.s. If you’re looking for more recipes with brown butter, check out these cashew ones and this nutty pie.
Open Sesame Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened, divided
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon flaked sea salt
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Brown 1/2 cup butter, toasted sesame seed oil, and sesame seeds in medium saucepan over low heat until golden brown (watch carefully to avoid burning). Remove from heat; set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix remaining 1/2 cup butter, sugar and egg thoroughly. Take 2 heaping tablespoons of sesame seeds from the browned butter. Add it to the sugar mixture. Blend in water. Sift and measure the flour. Stir dry ingredients together; then blend them into the sugar mixture. Roll dough into 3/4-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheet. Flatten the balls with the bottom of a greased glass dipped in sugar. Bake about 10 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. For frosting, blend powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together with the remaining browned butter-sesame seed mixture. Stir until smooth. Frost cooled cookies. Store in airtight container. Yields approximately 4 dozen cookies, with a generous amount of frosting.
